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New Facilitator for the Plains CMN + About GPCMN

About

The Gippsland Plains Conservation Management Network (GPCMN) brings together managers of native vegetation, regardless of tenure, in the South East Coastal Plain. Our main focus is on improving outcomes for the nationally endangered community of Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Associated Native Grassland across private and public land on the Gippsland Plains.

Equally important is the sharing of information, which we do through our twice-yearly newsletter On the plains and in the Forest, produced with the East Gippsland Rainforest CMN.

We operate throughout West Gippsland and East Gippsland catchment areas of Eastern Victoria, Australia, with an office based in Paynesville.

The GPCMN was the first CMN in Victoria (and the second in Australia) and incorporated in 2002. Since then annual income has gone from $17,000 to over $400,000.

The current committee is made up of the Trust for Nature, East Gippsland Landcare Network, East Gippsland Shire Council, Wellington Shire Council, Vic Roads, Greening Australia, six private landholders and the East Gippsland Rainforest CMN.

CMN members include 80 landholders who own and manage native vegetation on the Gippsland Plain. Agency members include Trust for Nature, Parks Victoria, Department of Sustainability & Environment, VicRoads, Hancock Victorian Plantations, East and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authorities, East Gippsland Shire Council, Wellington Shire Council, and East Gippsland Rail Trail.

What is a Conservation Management Network (CMN)?

A Conservation Management Network (CMN) is a network of remnants of native vegetation, their owners or managers and other interested individuals. CMNs usually focus on a single ecological community (e.g. grassy ecosystems), because the management needs of each community are relatively uniform. An important purpose of CMNs is to assist landholders and land managers in the management of remnants.

The Gippsland Region of Victoria has two CMNs: The Gippsland Plains CMN and The East Gippsland Rainforest CMN.

Members of a CMN include:

interested private landholders

managers of remnant vegetation on public land

other interested community members

Why do we need CMNs?

Managing the threatened vegetation that remains in agricultural landscapes has been described as one of Australia’s greatest environmental challenges. Vegetation often occurs as small, isolated patches and can be owned and managed by various agencies. Managing those remnants for the best biodiversity outcome is difficult for one agency. The CMN facilitates best management across land tenures.